The Week Ahead: Leftovers on the Menu

Congress returns from it's week-long recess today with five weeks until the next break and a to-do list of items left over from before July 4th.

The Senate will immediately return to the housing bill that stalled before the break, mostly due to an effort by Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) to tack largely unrelated energy tax items onto the bill. Democrats hope to break that logjam this week and get the measure passed so the House can take it up.

The House has a considerably lighter week on tap, as the chamber will consider dozens of uncontroversial bills on the suspension calendar and will also take a measure requiring the preservation of White House e-mails and bills creating a new national historic trail in New York and a new section of "National Wild and Scenic Rivers" in Massachusetts.

Check back with Capitol Briefing later today for posts from aides to the top four congressional leaders giving their takes on the week ahead.